Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-11
STREET RAILWAY.
SPECIAL MvEiIH3 OF THE eoMMoN
C0UHclL on rrIs SUBJECT.
Action with Reference to the Present
Company and to the
Few Line.

4
Few Line.
A called meeting of the Common
Council was held last night in the
Council chamber to consider the ordi-
nance granting the City Railway Com
pany permission to extend its tracks
and the ordinance giving the Richmond
Union Passenger Railway Company
certain street-railway privileges.
Present: Messrs. Bethel lin the chair, Am
mons, Archer, Bowden. Bryan, Connor. Cntch-
ius. tairar, Ferriter, Grifith. Griffin. Guy,
| Hayes hudnall, Hughes. Jones, Kaufclt, kalf-
man, Lange, Molloy, Montgomery, Murphy,
Owen, Parreter, Parrish, Splitter, and starke.
As the clerk commenced to read the
ordinance published in Yesterday s
Dispotch] Mr.. Bowden moved that fur
ther reading be dispensed with, as the
members Of the Council were familiar
with it.
Mr.. Ammons moved that the ordi-
nance be adopted.
Mr.. Connor offered the following adj
dition rs an amendment to the route:
From Broad along Ninth to Leigh. and along
| Leigh 10 Eighth. with g single track; from
| Broad along Eighth 20 Leigh with single
| track, and from Eighth along Leigh TO BROOK
| avenue with double track
| From Main along Twenty-hrst to Church Hill
| avenue, along Church Hill avenue to twenty
| nfih, along Twenty-hfth 70 q, with double
| track; thence along q to Twenty-sixtl, along
| 1venty-sixth 10 i, aud along 70 lwenty-nttn
! with single track.
| From Leigh alopg St. James to Coutts street,
| with single track and turnouts aud turn
table.
Mr. Owen moved that representatives
Of each line be heard on the subject be-
fore vote was taken. Agreed to.
COLONEL STERN.
Colonel 10. Lane Stern, representing
the City Railway Company, came for
ward first and addressed the Council.
Colonel Stern started by saying that
he appeared for Major Thomas G.. Jack
son. who bad been injured by an acci-
dent in the street. He appeared to
represent corporation, and in speak
ing for them could only say what would
be acceptable to the corporation, as the
several propositions now before the
Council stood. Any material change
or deviation would, of course, have
to be considered by them, and he could
only give his opinion about them !;
that the letter addressed by Mr.. Jack
son as counsel for the company of Feb
ruary 3, 1887, to the chairman Of the
Committee on Streets contained all of
the propositions which the company
had TO make at that time, all OF which
they are still ready to stand by. That
proposition, among other extensions Of
the line contemplated, provided for one
on Church Hill. The Street Commit
tee has reported an ordinance which
does not permit the company to run its
lines on Church Hill. This extension
will either be given up or made as pro
posed, or double liue from Main up
Twenty-ffth to Venable will be
made, if desired. The proposition
from the company did not contemplate
the extension OF the BroadStreet line
west ut present. The Street Commit
tees ordinance requires such an ex-
tension. The company will accept
that, although it is burdensome and
cannot pay for long time. The Street
Committee requires that the Union
| Passenger Company shall have the right
to use at least five squares on Broad or
Main street of the City Railway Com
pany. This had not been contemplated
by the company, and will result in in
convenience and loss but the com
pany will accept that. The PROPOSE
tion Of the company to pay per cent.
on its gross receipts for the next eight
years and per cent. thereafter during
| the continuance of the charter was made
IN good faith, and is now repeated upon
the single condition contained in the
original proposition of the company to
| allow the Leigh and COutts-street eX-
tension. The estimate Of the company's 8
officers of revenue which the city
would derive, giving the company the
extensions which they ask for, would
be 100000 in thirteen years The
gross income Of the company as it
stood last year was 100000, which
would be $1,000 year for eight
years, or $32, 900, and the Gper cent. on
that same gross income for five years
would be $50, 600, making S62, 600, but
with the increased length of lines and
additional lines the probable income
would be one half of the S62, 900, or
from S93, ,000 to $lG0, 900. II the Coun-
ell find it necessary as matter OF busi
ness to appropriate an additional $780,
coo for the construction Of the City
Hall and put it in bonds to run fifteen
years, it is an absolute certainty
that tie City Railway, with the
privileges asked for, will pay off that
300, by the time it becomes due,
by compounding the interest upon the
annual payments. A very large part of
the interest accriing on the 100000
would also be met out of the fund
arising from this revenue. There is only
one other feature OF the ordinance pro-
posed which cannot possibly be ac-
ceptod by the company, and that
is the contemplated change of
gauge. The present track is the
standard street-car gauge in use
in New York and other important
cities. The tracks here constructed
were built as required by ordinance
under the supervision of the then City
Engineer, who had authority to stop
the construction of the track if not
built according to the plans approved
by him. The expense OF changing the
gauge and of purchasing new cars, be-
cause the old ones cannot be changed,
is estimated to be $4,000. Any con-
templated change Of gauge, therefore,
with all respect to those who suggested
it, would require the company to de-
cline the ordinance in the whole.
Colonel Stern spoke for fifteen min
utes, and in closing presented a petition
from citizens on Leigh street express
ing the hope that the City Railway
would be extended up Leigh street.
CAPTAIN COKE.
On behalf of the Richmond Union
Passenger Railway Company, Captain
John A. Coke next spoke. The speaker
began by saying that most of the gen.
tlemen interested in the line were citi
zens OF this city, and they came before
the Council to ask permission to bring
the people of Union and Church Hills
in easy communication with Shockoe
Hill. IL the demands OF the City
Railway Company were to be COM
piled with his company would
have to gracefully withdraw. He
would declare that ii his com